When decorating your home, you should not ignore your light fixtures. 

Light fixtures can make or break a room's design - especially a very visible chandelier that hangs down from the ceiling. 

Whether your home is very dated with old ugly chandeliers, or it is a brand new home with super cheap generic chandeliers selected by the builder, you should consider upgrading your lighting to compliment your decor style.

A new reasonably priced stylish chandelier replacing an ugly, undersized, or basic chandelier in your home can increase the value of your home by 5 to 10 times the cost of the chandelier.

Luckily, there are many chandeliers that are very budget friendly.

Most of my clients this year want white quartz kitchen and bathroom countertops, however they don't realize that there are so many options. 

When selecting a white countertop, make sure you realize that just because there is "white" or "blanco" in the name of the color, doesn't mean that it is a true white. 

The image below shows just a few of the white options available. 

So, how do you select the best white quartz countertop for your home?

There are many characteristics of expensive custom homes that are missing from less expensive homes. 

Often times homes in subdivisions are mass produced and the builders cut corners during construction in order to save money and make a greater profit.

Expensive homes are also properly decorated by a professional instead of using popular "one size fits all" items from a local big box store. 

Even if your home was not originally custom, you can change it to make it look more expensive. 

Here are some suggestions to upgrade your home and avoid decorating mistakes that make it look cheap.

 photo courtesy of Brent Eckley flickr.com/photos/96831183@N08/28665516526

Many people have strong opinions when it comes to decorating a kitchen countertop. 

Some people will say to only display a maximum of two items while others feel the need to display every beautiful kitchen item that they own. 

My personal opinion is to only keep the items you use at least once a week on your countertops and everything decorative needs to also be functional. 

Typically, the more traditional and casual the interior design, the more items can be on the kitchen countertop. 

The more modern and formal the home, the fewer items should be on the kitchen countertop. 

Here are a few common items that I regularly use to decorate kitchen countertops, as well as what you should avoid.

photo courtesy of Cynthia Crane flickr.com/photos/cynthiacranesart/15011728865

Many of my clients want to use the color gray in their homes that are currently filled with beige tile flooring, beige carpet, and beige furniture that they want to keep. 

Many are concerned that the beige and gray colors will not complement each other, and they are right to be concerned. 

The main reason why beige and gray do not often work well together is because beige is typically a warm color and gray is typically a cool color. 

With proper planning, we can decorate each room in a way that makes the beige and gray look intentional.

Photo by Adams + Beasley Associates - Browse bedroom ideas

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